Same Day Surgery FAQ

• What happens once the patient
  is taken into the Same Day Surgery unit?
  When patients are taken into the Same Day Surgery (SDS) unit, the nurse will get them ready for surgery. You will be invited to wait with them as soon as possible. Getting patients ready could take 45 minutes to 1 hour.



• I see people who came into the hospital
  after me, go into surgery before me? Why?
  On any given day, Ocean Medical Center may have as many as 10 surgeons performing surgery. Each surgeon has his/her own schedule that may impact your wait time.



• The patient was told surgery would
  be at 7:30am. Is this a firm time frame?
  Sometimes there are emergency cases, or delays that prevent surgery from starting at the scheduled time. We will make every effort to keep the patient, family and/or person waiting informed of any changes.



• Where do I go when the patient
  is transferred to the Operating Room?
  Check in with the volunteer at the desk in the Surgical Waiting Room. They will request information that may include your home or cell phone number, and where you will wait. If the volunteer is not at the desk, please go to the Same Day Surgery nurses' desk in the Same Day Surgery unit.



• The Doctor told us the surgery would take
  an hour — will we be able to talk to the Doctor right after surgery?
  The one hour only includes the actual surgery time. Time to admit and prepare the patient in the Operating Suite could be an additional 30 minutes to one hour. The Doctor will call or come and talk with you only after the patient is in the Recovery Room, also called the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).
  
  
• What happens after I have
  spoken to the surgeon following the surgery?
  The patient will "recover" in the PACU. There is no set time period for recovery. The recovery includes watching the patient's oxygen level, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and temperature. Also, if they have pain, nausea and/or vomiting after surgery, they will receive medication and treatment as needed during this time. Most patients are very drowsy and need to rest. There is no visiting during this time. If the patient is a child, a parent/guardian will be called to the PACU by the nurse when the time is right.



• Will I be able to visit
  in the Recovery Room (PACU)?
  As a rule, there is no visiting in the PACU. During this waiting time, patients are often sleeping and visiting is not in the best interest of the patient. However, in the case where the patient's recovery is complete and they are waiting to be moved to their room, you may be invited by the nurse for a short visit into the PACU.



• How will I know if it is a
  good time to visit in the PACU?
  The PACU nurse will find you based on the information you provided to the Surgical Waiting Room volunteer. They will contact you in the Surgical Waiting Room, at the Same Day Surgery nurses' desk, or by telephone. If the nurse invites you to visit, the volunteer will direct you where to go. The volunteer and the nurse will keep you up to date about what is going on during this recovery period.



• If the surgery is considered
  "Same Day Surgery" what happens next?
  After the recovery process, the patient will return to the Same Day Surgery unit where you will be invited to stay with them. The patient will be watched and medication given as necessary. When the patient is ready to go home, they will be discharged home. There is no set time frame for this process.



• If the surgery requires an admission
  to the hospital what will happen?
  After the recovery period, when the patient is ready, they will be taken to their room. The volunteer in the Surgical Waiting Room will tell you when the move has taken place. Room numbers are not given out until the patient is moved in case of a last minute change.



• In the past we have been told "there is no room assignment yet". What does this mean?
  Patients are being admitted not only from the Operating Room but also from the Emergency Department and doctor's offices. Often this means as patients go home, rooms are cleaned and prepared for a new patients. There is no way of knowing how long this will take. You will be told when the patient has a room and given an estimate of how long before the patient will be taken to their room.

If you have additional questions regarding Same Day Surgery, please call 732-836-4378.